Go Away Bad Dream, Boo!
by Rosa Cotton
Summary: It is Frodo's last night at Brandy Hall, and ends up comforting a frightened and sad Merry. PreLOTR


Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.

Author's Note: Well, I was trying to write a sequel to _You__ are Precious to Me, Dearest, but wasn't having any success. Then I thought about doing a Frodo/Merry story, and this is what I ended up writing. This is Pre-LOTR. Frodo is 20 and Merry is 6. I have been unable to find exactly how old Frodo was when Bilbo adopted him; so if anyone knows, please let me know and I will correct the ages in this story. Please let me know what you think._

Dedicated: To the wonderful shirebound, one of my favorite hobbit writers.

~~~ 

Go Away Bad Dream, Boo!

Frodo quietly walked through the hallways toward his room. This was his last night at Brandy Hall. Tomorrow he would go live with his older cousin Bilbo in Hobbiton. It seemed as though it would be many long hours before morning would come! He already missed Hobbiton and Bilbo. He had been allowed to live with Bilbo for three months before deciding he wanted to be adopted by Bilbo. 

Being back here at Brandy Hall the last month had seemed a bit strange to Frodo. He was surrounded by dozens of noisy relatives, when he longed for the quietness of Bag End and hearing Bilbo tell stories by the fire. He had lived with his Uncle Saradoc and Aunt Esmeralda since the death of his parents. He would miss them but was relieved he would be leaving Brandy Hall behind soon. He now considered Hobbiton home. 

As Frodo continued on toward his room, he paused before an oak door. He could hear mumblings through it but could not make out words. He hesitated before quietly opening the door.

"— dream, boo! Go away, bad dream, boo! Go away, bad dream, boo! Go away –"

Frodo heard the words amidst the sobs that came from the little bed. His heart went out to the frightened little hobbit.

"Merry?" he called softly.

The voice immediately stopped its babbling and drew in a breath that sounded like something between a gasp and a squeak.  

"Cousin Frodo?" the lad asked in a quivering voice.

"It is me, Merry," Frodo answered. The moonlight spilling through the window helped him find his way to Merry's bed, and he sat on the edge. He was completely astonished when Merry, with a cry, flung himself into his cousin's arms and let forth uncontrollable heart-wrenching sobs. Frodo was perplexed. There had been many times before when during the course of the night Merry would come into Frodo's room because of a bad dream. There would sometimes be a few shed tears as Merry told about his dream. Frodo would help calm him and tuck him back into bed, usually staying with him until sleep claimed him; and sometimes Frodo allowed Merry to stay with him for the rest of the night.

Never had Merry acted so frightened before. He cried hot tears into Frodo's shoulder and was shaking terribly. Frodo wrapped his arms protectively around the small body and gently rocked back and forth.

"Merry! What is the matter, little one?" Frodo did not try to keep the mounting fear out of his voice. Perhaps he should awake Saradoc and Esmeralda.

Merry only responded by pressing himself closer to his older cousin. One of his hands reached up and grabbed a handful of Frodo's dark chocolate curls. Among his sobbing he started murmuring repeatedly, "Frodo Frodo Frodo Frodo," in a sad tone that made the said name owner's heart break. 

"I am here, Merry. It is all right now. I have you, dear" Frodo whispered into the lad's ear.

Frodo did not know how much time passed before Merry's sobs turned to quiet weeping, and he stopped shaking. His tensed body relaxed and melted in Frodo's arms. Gently Frodo eased Merry back so he could see his face. Merry, with his red eyes that sparkled and his tear-stained cheeks, sniffed and blinked up at his cousin. 

"Merry?" Frodo probed gently.

Merry brought his small hands up to Frodo's face and stroked it. "You are here," he said finally, assuring himself. Frodo nodded. A small smile played its way across Merry's face. 

"Why were you saying, 'Go away, bad dream, boo!'?" Frodo cocked an eyebrow. 

Merry sobered. "Berilac said I am too old to wake you or Ma and Pa because I'm frightened of a dream. He told me that whenever I have a bad dream I should say, 'Go away, bad dream, boo!' so it will leave me alone. So I tried it, but the dream did not go away; I couldn't forget it and became more frightened by it. But I know now it was not real." 

Frodo examined his six-year-old cousin. "I do not think you are too old to come to your Ma and Pa or me if you have a bad dream," he said. Merry looked at him gratefully; there was still a trace of dimming fear of the dream in his eyes. "Do you want to tell me about it?" Frodo asked quietly. 

Merry lowered his head and said in a trembling voice, "I dreamed that I was running through Brandy Hall looking for you. But I couldn't find you. I found Ma and she said you had left and I would never see you again. And I had not even been able to say good- bye." Merry's lip quivered, and tears started to reform in his large eyes. 

"Oh, Merry…." Frodo opened his arms and drew Merry in for another hug. Merry did not cry but breathed in the smell of his cousin and enjoyed the warmth of his arms around him.

"But it was not real, for you are still here, Cousin Frodo," Merry said.

Usually Frodo would agree that the dream was not real and then soothe Merry to sleep. But this time Frodo did not say anything; and his back stiffened slightly. Merry raised his head to look at Frodo, confused by his cousin's lack of response. All he saw swimming in Frodo's eyes was sadness. He drew his brows together in a frown, and then the lines disappeared as understanding and remembrance settled on his small face.

"Tomorrow you will leave with Cousin Bilbo to go to Hobbiton," Merry stated simply in a low voice. He now remembered hearing how happy Frodo had been in Hobbiton, and Merry was happy that he was going to be adopted by Bilbo. Merry also knew how lonely and isolated Frodo felt at Brandy Hall even while being surrounded by so much family. He knew a lot of goings-on for being only six. Merry did not know Cousin Bilbo that well, for he did not often visit Brandy Hall. But he did enjoy the stories Bilbo would tell all the gathered children in the huge parlor. They listened with spellbound looks on their faces and large excited eyes. Merry was not too akin to having Frodo leave, but it would not be fair not to let Frodo be happy.

"So even some bad dreams will not go away," he mused, and then met Frodo's gaze again. "This shall be the last time I will ever see you…." 

Frodo firmly shook his head. "No, my dear cousin, you shall see me again. Maybe we will meet sometime soon in the future, or maybe in a long while. But we shall meet again, I promise; I will probably occasionally come visit at Brandy Hall, and you might be allowed to come visit me in Hobbiton," he assured. 

Merry's eyes darted around the room as he digested this information. His face seemed to brighten with understanding. But there was still a bit of lingering shadow….  

"You will say good-bye before you leave, won't you?" Merry held his breath as he waited for an answer.

Frodo was tempted to laugh, but seeing how important this question was to his cousin, he answered seriously, "Aye, I shall say good-bye. I will not leave until we have had a proper farewell."

Shadow was gone, replaced with only light in Merry's green eyes. "Thank you, Cousin Frodo. I shall miss you terribly, though, but I want you to be happy, to be loved."

Frodo smiled at the lad and patted his gold curls. "I shall keep all the love you have given me in my heart, dear one. I shall miss you also, but I will be with you even when I go."

"You will? How? Where?" Merry asked, puzzled.

Frodo pressed a finger against his cousin's chest. "I will be with you in your heart, if you carry the love I have given you."

Merry smiled happily and nodded firmly. "I will," he said solemnly.

Frodo's smile widened as Merry yawned sleepily. 

"Frodo, could…could…" Merry looked down at his bed sheets, shy.

"…could I stay with you?" Frodo finished.

"No, could I sleep with you?" Merry corrected.

"But we are already in your room!"

"Yes, but you will not sleep in your room tomorrow night," Merry protested.

The lad had him there. Frodo sighed resignedly. 

"Very well, I suppose you may, since this is my last night…"

Merry jumped up and down on the bed with joy. He then wrapped his arms around his cousin and kissed his cheek. 

"Thank you, Frodo."

"Shall you walk, or would you have me carry you?"

Merry did not release his grip; Frodo took that as an answer.

~~~ 

Merry snuggled closer to Frodo and sighed contentedly. He was almost asleep but had something to say.

"Frodo?"

"Mmmm?"

"I'm not frightened by my bad dream no more."

Frodo turned so he faced Merry. "Did you say, 'Go away, bad dream, boo!'?" he asked in a teasing tone.

Merry shook his head back and forth. "No. I'm not frightened no more because I faced it instead of hiding from it. And I see not everything about it is bad."

In the darkness Frodo grinned and marveled at the wisdom of the little hobbit next to him. He then wrapped his arm lovingly around Merry and touched his forehead to his cousin's.  

"I am proud of you, dear."

Merry smiled at his cousin's praise and contentedly closed his eyes. Where he was no harm could come to him. And no bad dreams disturbed the two hobbits the rest of the night.

THE END


End file.
